Part of my undercarriage fell off, what is it?

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by XerxesFE, Jul 3, 2020.

  1. XerxesFE

    XerxesFE New Member

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    As the title says. I went to park in a friends field and a large rock tore off a piece of the car. Nothing else appears to be damaged aside from scratches on the passenger side undercarriage and the piece that fell off as shown below.
    Right where the bend is on the silver object there is a large P with an arrow pointing in some direction, alongside holes for small round pin connectors. I was hoping someone could identify what the piece is and how urgent it is that i replace/reinstall it (would I need a new piece? It doesn't feel flimsy, just bent a bit. Also wonder if i can install it myself with a jack). It doesn't appear to be damaged aside from minor scratches on the remaining pin. There is also a small scratch on the fuel tank but it isn't deep at all, should that be concerning as well? Apologies if I am asking for too much; im just wondering if anyone has information before I take it to a shop.
    2020 Prius Prime LE

    EDIT: My friend told me quite a few people have tried to park where I park so I'm not even 100% sure that this is a part to the PP 2020, but I cant find pictures of the undercarriage or the piece anywhere online since i don't see a part number.
     

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    #1 XerxesFE, Jul 3, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2020
  2. Rob43

    Rob43 Senior Member

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    Whether it's yours or not, that's a heat shield.



    Rob43
     
    #2 Rob43, Jul 4, 2020
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  3. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    As @Rob43 said, it is a part of the heatshield. The heatshields on PRIME are located on the upper side of the entire exhaust pipes and muffler. But, without first removing the exhaust pipe components, the heat shields do not come off that easily. If your car's exhaust is intact, I doubt it came off of your car.

    See this picture from the 2017 PRIME Premium. I think it would be very similar in the 2020 models.
    Do you need underbody rust protection on new Prime? | Page 2 | PriusChat

    Also, an enlarged photo of the area around the CAT is here: Do you need underbody rust protection on new Prime? | Page 3 | PriusChat
     
    #3 Salamander_King, Jul 6, 2020
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  4. XerxesFE

    XerxesFE New Member

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    Ah thank you, the piece looks like its the center heat shield for the exhaust link pipe. This will make for a much easier reinstall tomorrow, thanks!

    Also thanks Rob for letting me know its a heat shield, I was able to find more information on installation and its purpose. Much appreciated.
     
    #4 XerxesFE, Jul 6, 2020
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  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Oh, I see it's the piece I circled in the photo. Yeah, I see that the lowest part of this heat shield is lower than the pipe. It must have been scraped by the rock and ripped off. If you haven't done this yet, just to be certain, it is a good idea to rise the car up on a lift and thoroughly examine the underside of the body to check other damages that may not be obvious.

    upload_2020-7-7_8-17-43.png
     
    #5 Salamander_King, Jul 7, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2020
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Amen. For that shield to be ripped off, there could definitely be more damage.

    You can DIY without a lift: back the rear wheels up onto ramps, or jack up the rear with a floor jack, settle it onto safety stands. The best place for safety stands in the rear is likely just inboard of the scissor jack positions. There tends to be heavy reinforced plate with oblong holes (with plugs) in that area.

    Maybe in clouded zones:

    upload_2020-7-7_15-9-44.png

    Position the cradle so it lays across the hump.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Jul 7, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2020
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  7. Doug Fir

    Doug Fir Junior Member

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    This happened to me, too, while I was driving on a gravel road I shouldn't have been on. Quick question. The part that fell off looks different than the one in the photo with the red circle. The part that fell off my 2020 Prius Prime looks identical to the one initially posted on this thread. Is the photo with the red circle from a different year Prime? Or different type of Prime?
    p.s. Oh, nevermind...I think I answered my own question by reading Salamander King's post more carefully...yes, that photo is from a 2017 Prime. Anyway...thanks again. This thread was really helpful.
     
    #7 Doug Fir, Aug 5, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2022
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